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Car Ownership and Car use

Why people like cars
The tourist attraction Sand-Toe-Sa is bringing in a new programme for next year's Halloween.
This new offering is not named yet. Guests will board a bus driven by a professional driver in this experience.
A spokesperson for the attraction mentioned that guests will 'fear for their lives' as everyone
will be made to climb up the stairs to the upper deck of the bus while the bus is moving.
Don't miss this harrowing experience!

The satirical piece above is trying to bring to attention one unpleasant experience while riding a public bus.
There are different way a bus ride can make a person feel uncomfortable. That may be one plausible reason why Singaporeans like the idea of purchasing a car.
Car traveling along road in Singapore

Real insights about cars in Singapore

In the year 1980, out of a sample population of 290, 10% of Singaporeans wanted to buy a new car for the upcoming year.
This figure was published by Ogilvy & Mather.
This piece of information was published in The Business Times in 7 August 1980.

In 2013, 40% of Singaporean and permanent resident households owned cars in Singapore. 10 years later, one third of the same population owned cars.
On the other hand, the population of rental cars for individual use has increased from 23,147 in 2021 to 33,765 in 2025. It was noted that people with families and those capable of only limited movement will continue to use cars(regardless of owning or renting it).

Reference:The Straits Times;6 Nov 2023 ,The Straits Times;2 Feb 2026